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C    E    fll?    270 


LIBRARY 

OP  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA. 


GIFT    OF 


Class 


A    POEM 
OF     THE    OLDEN     TIME 


Describing  a  ball  at  Cambridge,  Mass, 
in  the  year  1840 


Written  by 
MISS     ANN     G.     STORROW 


Read  by  Colonel  Thomas  Wentworth  Higginson  at  the 
annual  meeting  of  the  Omar  Khayyam  Club  of  America, 
Saturday,  March  28,  1908,  at  the  Algonquin  Club,  Boston, 
Mass.  The  original  verses  were  addressed  by  the  reader's 
aunt  to  his  cousin  and  Harvard  classmate,  William  Farley 
Storrow,  who  had  just  gone  back  to  his  Virginia  home. 
The  dance  was  given  at  Mrs.  Higginson's  house,  until 
recently  standing  in  the  Radcliffe  College  grounds. 


Copyright  1909,  by 
CHARLES  D.  BURRAGE. 


T72.P 


29  BUCKINGHAM  ST., 

CAMBRIDGE,  MASS. 

APRIL  17,  1908. 


DEAR  MR.  BURRAGE, — 


Thank  you  heartily  for  your  note  and 
proposal  for  printing  those  verses  of  my  dear  old  aunt's. 
I  had  always  thought  it  likely  that  the  Cambridge  Histor 
ical  Society  might  print  them  sooner  or  later  but  I  should 
like  your  plan  much  better.  I  have  already  got  them 
into  shape  which  will  cover  the  omissions,  here  and  there, 
except  four  lines  which  can  be  left  out  entirely.  I  will 
also  write  explanatory  notes  indicating  who  the  different 
people  are,  so  far  as  I  can,  which  will  make  it  the  more 
interesting.  I  shall  not  make  the  notes  conspicuous,  but 
so  as  to  enhance  the  interest  to  all. 

Cordially  yours, 

THOMAS  WENTWORTH  HIGGINSON. 


180120 


Dear  Parley-though  twenty  young  writers  will  all 

Send  posting  to  you  an  account  of  the  ball 

Yet  you  will  not  object,  I  am  sure,  to  get  mine 

Just  to  tell  you  again  'twas  prodigiously  fine- 

Some  time  was  consumed  in  arranging  the  guests 

And  the  catalogue  studied  to  know  which  was  best 

Of  all  the  distingues  whom  Cambridge  can  boast 

And  th'  upshot  of  the  matter  was  taking  a  host. 

So  the  notes  were  despatched -Foster,  Williams  and  Law 

And  fifty  fine  beaux  whom  I  never  yet  saw- 

Brother  Griggs,  Mr.  Gray,  and  the  Devenses  both 

John  Ware,  Mr.  Coolidge,  and  Douglas  not  loth, 

(Though  somewhat  too  lothely  to  shine  at  a  ball) 

No  matter  for  that-take  one  and  take  all- 

Rufus  King,  Mr.  Aspinwall,  graceful  Kirk  Boott, 

John  Holmes  and  Frank  Minor.,  so  stiff  and  so  mute, 

Mr.  Peirce,  Mr.  Felton,  and  Loverings  were  here 

And  a  few  other  beaux  who  will  shortly  appear- 

Our  own  three  divine  ones-how  rich  and  how  proud 

Were  we  when  we  singled  them  out  from  the  crowd. 

They  are  beauties,  you  know,  dear,  but  each  in  his  way 

But  more  of  that  matter  I'll  think  not  to  say. 

Mr.  Robinson  came,  to  the  pleasure  of  all, 

For  the  ladies  all  thought  he  embellished  the  ball. 

Mr.  Roubieu  was  not  in  the  humour  to  come 

So  at  least  for  that  evening  he  tarried  at  home. 


For  the  ladies,- Miss  Fosters  and  Rices  and  Ware 
(Miss  Quincys  sent  answer  they  could  not  appear) 
Miss  Rogers,  Miss  WeUses,  and  Adams  and  Fay 
Miss  Watson,  Miss  Treadwell,  and  now  shall  I  say 
Who  pleased  me  the  most,  when  they  all  were  so  fair 
Twas  sweet  Mary  Devens  of  beauty  most  rare 
So  graceful  and  modest,  so  joyous  and  bright 
The  beauty  itself  gives  me  far  less  delight 
Than  the  beautiful  union  of  all  that  could  move 
The  heart  to  delight  in,  the  fancy  to  love- 
Well-that's  'tween  ourselves-who  came  next-let  me  see 
The  Channings  from  Boston,  and  Higginsons  three, 
Besides  Charley  and  Johnny,  and  shall  I  forget 
The  sweetest  of  brides,  the  lovliest  pet 
That  ever  made  sunshine  in  a  showery  day 
The  fair  Mary  Greenleaf,  as  lovely  as  May- 
Helen  Davis  was  brilliant,  and  "pleasant  as  a  bird" 
When  after  long  winter  its  voice  may  be  heard 
And  Margaret,  arrayed  in  white  muslin,  was  seen 
As  graceful  as  fairy  that  trips  o'er  the  green. 
Mary  Howe,  the  magnificent,  Mr.  McKean 
(I  put  them  together,  because  they  were  seen 
In  pretty  close  contact -no  matter  for  that 
They  both  understand  very  well  'what  is  what') 
The  morning  was  glorious  in  sunshine  and  smiles 
And  dire  was  the  bustle  and  business  the  while 


The  filling  of  lamps  and  the  cutting  of  cake 

And  all  the  nice  morsels  important  to  make 

An  imposing  appearance  and  tempt  all  the  party 

If  they  so  were  inclined,  to  eat  supper  quite  hearty 

Mary  Howe  came  in  early  to  make  Charlotte  Russe 

(And  really  'twas  made  without  any  great  fuss) 

And  ham  from  Virginia  flourished  in  dishes- 

And  ginger  in  Canton  proved  true  to  the  wishes 

Of  those  who  love  sweet  things,  and  who  does  not,  pray? 

But  oysters,  dear  oysters,  oh  what  shall  I  say 

To  tell  how  delightfully  Ann  had  them  cooked 

And  how  finely  they  tasted-how  elegant  looked 

And  how  soon  disappeared- that  was  all  very  well, 

But  many  more  goodies  of  which  I  could  tell 

I  shall  leave  to  your  fancy,  and  go  to  the  Ball 

Where  dancing  and  merriment  ruled  each  and  all. 

'Twas  as  gay  an  assembly  as  ever  I  saw 

But  the  soul  of  mirth  was  the  young  Mr.  Law; 

He  is  wild  as  a  bird  just  let  loose  from  its  cage 

But  he  never  was  rude  in  his  life,  I'll  engage. 

His  little  feet  twinkle  so  witchingly  round 

That  he  seems  in  the  air  to  dance-not  on  the  ground. 

Thacher  danced  with  Maria- made  love  by  the  yard 

And  then  with  Miss  Story-and  if  right  I  read 

He'll  "get  up  a  flirtation"  to  use  his  own  word  ' 

But  the  chain's  not  yet  wrought  that  will  bind  that  fair  bird. 


So  they  danced  (Peter  fiddled)  and  supper  they  ate 

And  they  danced  after  that  till  it  grew  very  late 

And  they  knew  they  must  go,  but  they  hated  the  thought 

For,  unlike  most  seekers,  they  found  what  they  sought 

So  Helen  and  Margaret  and  Kirk  Boott  sat  down 

To  a  nice  little  supper,  when  all  the  rest  gone 

We  talked  o'er  the  evening  so  pleasant  and  gay 

And  wished  for  the  friend  who  was  then  far  away 

And  surely  your  name  was  a  thousand  times  said 

And  we  thought  it  a  shame  that  so  far  you  had  strayed. 

But  your  triumph  will  come  when  "the  Lomax"  is  here 

And  that  time  will  be  in  the  spring  of  the  year 

All  else  will  be  forgotten-  thrice  happy  you'll  be 

When  the  fair  "leaning  Tower"  shall  bend  toward  thee 

P.  S.     One  thing,  I  forget,  for  my  wit's  not  o'er  bright 

To  speak  of  two  fair  ones  who  failed  us  that  night 

Alice  Crabbe  and  her  cousin,  the  gentle  Miss  T- 

Were  detained  by  the  illness  of  boys,  one,  two,  three. 

"Aunt  Julia"  was  sick  too,  and  sorry  we  were 

To  see  our  gay  prospects  all  melted  in  air 

But  Jemmy,  Charles  Henry,  and  Joseph  'gan  cry 

And  the  poor  little  ladies  were  forced  to  "stand  by" 

But  Sam  Todd  was  here,  with  his  eyes  shut  so  tight 

'Twas  whispered  he'd  watched  on  the  foregoing  night! 

So  Farewell,  my  dear  Farley,  you're  tired  I  fancy 

But  long-winded  has  often  been  called  your  Aunt  Nancy. 


NOTE. 


The  above  rhymes  were  written  about  the  year  1840  by 
my  Aunt  Miss  Ann  G.  Storrow  of  Cambridge  who  had 
largely  the  care  of  me  in  childhood,  and  who  was,  through 
her  wit  and  gaiety,  always  a  favorite  in  Cambridge  and 
Boston  society  through  a  long  life.  Her  later  years  were 
spent  in  Brattleboro,  Vermont,  where  my  eldest  brother 
was  a  physician  and  where  she  fairly  killed  herself  in  old 
age  by  constant  labors  and  exposure  in  the  care  of  the 
Vermont  soldiers  during  the  civil  war. 

The  scene  of  this  dancing  party  which  she  describes  was 
a  house  which  still  stands  with  a  large  elm  tree  before  it 
and  is  now  included  in  the  grounds  of  Radcliffe  College. 
It  fronts  on  Cambridge  Common  and  was  built  by  my  elder 
brother,  Dr.  Higginson,  though  it  is  now  known  as  the 
Vaughn  House  because  of  a  later  occupant.  My  brother 
having  removed  elsewhere,  my  mother  occupied  it  during 
all  my  college  life. 

It  must  be  remembered  that  the  dance  occurred  at  a  time 
when  Mr.  Justice  Story  had  built  up  the  Harvard  Law 
School  to  an  extent  which  seemed  surprising  at  that  day, 
and  when  the  favorite  social  leaders  among  young  men  in 
Cambridge  were  the  southern  law  students.  Thus  the  three 
students  first  named  were  respectively  from  Alabama,  Lou 
isiana,  and  Georgia.  Of  those  which  follow,  Griggs  was 
from  Brookline  and  was  then  librarian  of  the  Law  School ; 
Gray  was  from  Vermont ;  and  the  Devenses  were  both  from 
Cambridge,  the  elder  of  these  being  afterward  Major  Gen 
eral  Charles  Devens,  for  whom  statues  are  erected  both  in 
Boston  and  Worcester.  Ware  was  the  Rev.  John  F.  W. 


Ware,  afterward  a  clergyman  in  Baltimore.  Coolidge  was 
the  Rev.  Dr.  Coolidge,  now  a  resident  in  Cambridge  and 
the  oldest  living  graduate  of  Harvard.  Douglas  was  from 
Ohio;  King  was  afterwards  Chief  Justice  King  of  Ohio; 
Aspinwall  was  long  known  as  one  of  the  leading  citizens 
of  Brookline;  Kirk  Boott  was  then  a  resident  of  Cambridge 
and  a  great  social  favorite;  John  Holmes,  the  younger 
brother  of  Dr.  Oliver  Wendell  Holmes,  was  regarded  by 
many  as  the  more  brilliant  man  of  the  two,  and  a  full  sketch 
of  him  will  be  found  in  my  volume  called  "Contemporaries." 
Minot  was  afterward  Dr.  Francis  Minot  of  Boston,  eminent 
as  a  physician.  Peirce,  Felton,  and  Lovering  were  pro 
fessors  or  tutors  in  college.  The  "Three  divine  ones"  — 
every  large  family  in  the  community  at  least  contains  as 
many  as  that  —  were  my  two  elder  brothers  Waldo  and 
Thacher  and  myself.  Robinson  was  from  Louisiana  and 
was  considered  the  most  attractive  of  all  the  southerners, 
and  Roubieu  was  from  the  same  state. 

The  Misses  Quincy  were  the  president's  daughters  and 
the  Miss  Wellses  the  daughters  of  William  Wells,  a  highly 
trained  Englishman  whose  school  Lowell  and  Story  and 
myself  attended.  The  Misses  Adam  were  the  daughters 
of  Professor  William  Adam,  teacher  of  Oriental  literature, 
while  Miss  Fay  was  the  lady  from  whom  the  so-called  Fay 
House  was  afterward  bought  by  Radcliffe  College.  The 
lovely  and  beloved  maiden,  Mary  Devens,  the  younger 
sister  of  Gen.  Devens,  was  the  belle  of  Cambridge  in  those 
days.  The  "Charley  and  Johnny"  were  Dr.  Charles  E. 
Ware,  afterwards  well  known,  and  John  Holmes  already 
mentioned.  The  fair  Mary  Greenleaf,  justly  described,  was 
the  younger  sister  of  Professor  Longfellow  and  spent  all 
the  later  years  of  her  life  in  the  attractive  house  now  op 
posite  the  new  Radcliffe  Library  on  Brattle  Street,  and 


used  by  the  musical  department.  The  Misses  Helen  and 
Margaret  Davis  were  sisters  of  the  elder  Admiral  Davis, 
the  one  noted  for  her  delightful  singing  and  the  other  for 
her  graceful  dancing.  Mary  Howe  was  a  daughter  of 
Judge  Howe,  and  was  distinguished  for  her  striking  appear 
ance.  The  later  verses  describe  vividly  Mr.  Law  and  his 
dancing.  My  elder  brother,  Thacher,  one  of  the  most 
joyous  of  men,  and  drowned  at  sea  a  few  years  after,  danced 
with  Maria  Fay,  our  next  door  neighbor,  and  then  with 
Miss  Mary  Story,  daughter  of  the  Judge  and  afterwards 
the  wife  of  George  Ticknor  Curtis. 

The  three  who  talked  over  the  evening  were  the  two 
Misses  Davis  and  Kirk  Boott.  The  Lomaxes  later  men 
tioned  were  a  Virginia  family  whose  father,  Major  Lomax, 
was  stationed  about  that  time  in  the  Watertown  Arsenal 
and  had  as  a  visitor  a  young  lady  who  charmed  all  Cam 
bridge  and  with  whom  my  ardent  Virginia  cousin,  Farley 
Storrow — he  to  whom  the  verses  were  written — had  had 
an  especial  flirtation.  Miss  Crabbe  and  Miss  Todd  were 
members  of  a  large  naval  family,  the  latter  being  one  of 
the  children  of  Purser  Todd,  whose  various  experiences 
delighted  us  all  for  several  years  and  made  all  schoolboys 
long  to  be  midshipmen.  These  details  will  be  without 
interest  to  the  reader  who  has  not  detected  the  name  of 
some  kith  or  kin  among  those  present  at  this  dance,  but 
they  may  be  worth  preserving  through  the  possibility  that 
some  children  of  the  young  dancers  may  take  an  interest 
in  the  innocent  frolics  of  those  simpler  days. 


f  ( 


ioo  copies  of  this  work  have  been  printed  on  hand  made 
Holland  paper  for  the  Rosemary  Press,  Needham,  Mass. 

2  copies  have  been  reserved  for  copyright,  26  lettered 
copies  for  the  private  use  of  Col.  Thomas  Wentworth  Hig- 
ginson,  35  copies  numbered  i  to  35  for  the  Omar  Khayyam 
Club  of  America  and  37  copies  numbered  A  I  to  A  37  for 
the  Rosemary  Press  for  private  distribution. 

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180120 


